Rose Drayton lives on the Edge, between the world of the Broken (where people drive cars, shop at Wal-Mart, and magic is a fairy tale) and the Weird (where blueblood aristocrats rule, changelings roam, and the strength of your magic can change your destiny). Only Edgers like Rose can easily travel from one world to the next, but they never truly belong in either.

Rose thought if she practiced her magic, she could build a better life for herself. But things didn’t turn out how she planned, and now she works a minimum wage, off the books job in the Broken just to survive. Then Declan Camarine, a blueblood noble straight out of the deepest part of the Weird, comes into her life, determined to have her (and her power).

But when a terrible danger invades the Edge from the Weird, a flood of creatures hungry for magic, Declan and Rose must work together to destroy them—or they’ll devour the Edge and everyone in it.

BOOK REVIEW by Michelle:

I really loved On The Edge, the first book in The Edge, series by the Ilona Andrews writing team.

Kate Daniels series, by the Ilona Andrews had me seeing with each book, the improvement of story telling. I like Curran , but I think he doesn’t get enough air time. Declan is our knight in shining armor, or at least the lad to the rescue and he shines with both dialogue and air time in, On The Edge.

He made an entrance.

“I Declan Riel Martel, ade Dominik, ade Logran, ade Rotibar, Earl of Camarine, Lord of Longshire, Syvator, and Veres, hereby swear to fulfill three tasks given to me within the next two weeks by ...” He looked at her.

“Rose Drayton.” He owned more titles than TitleMax.

A tall man stood at the edge of the driveway. A cape of gray wolf fur billowed about him, revealing reinforced-leather armor, lacquered gray to match his cape, and a long elegant sword at his waist. His hair was a dark, rich gold, and it framed his face in a glacial cascade that fell over his left shoulder without a trace of curl.

“Well, you didn’t expect me to slap him with an open hand. One simply doesn’t.” Declan smiled back. It was a genuine smile, and it transformed his face. Instead of a blueblood, in the space of a moment he became a man, a living breathing man, irresistibly handsome, and funny, and someone she wished she knew. The effect was shocking.

Rose Drayton is an awesome female lead. She looks after her two younger brothers, Jack who is 8 years old and Georgie, who is 10 years old were really great additions to this story. I really liked these little boys. All three characters live in The Edge.

Both little boys have their own magic. Rose can flash and she is quite precise.

“Rose?” Georgie raised his head from Declan’s shoulder.

“Yes?”

“I’d like to be George from now on,” he said.

“Okay,” she said. “ That will be fine, George.”

He nodded and said, “I’m hungry.”

Rose and Declan do a lot of verbal sparring. I rather enjoyed it.

He nodded to the boys. “Start on the pancakes. Your sister and I need to have a talk.” He moved toward her.

She raised her head. If he thought he could order her around in her own house, he was in for a hell of a surprise.

“I won’t bite,” he said. “Not until you’re in my bed, anyway.”

“Never happen.”

He looked her over very slowly. “If I chose to molest you, it wouldn’t be an attempt. And you would be most enthusiastic about it.”

“You’re the most infuriating woman I have ever met. I swear not to molest the boys,” he ground out.

Rose put down her fork. “Lord Submarine...”

“Camarine.”

“Whatever.”

“If you touch me, I’ll hit you with this chair,” she ground out.

“I had no idea you enjoyed rough courtship,” he said with a straight face. “It was never my particular favorite, but I’ll do my best to play along, provided I’ll get you in the end.”

Rose opened her mouth, but nothing came out.

“Would you like me to be quiet?” he asked.

“Yes!”

“If you kiss me, I promise to be quiet for a very long time.”

“I mean to have you, Rose, you and all of your thorns. I’m a disagreeable and stubborn bastard, but I’m not a fool. You didn’t really expect me to pass you up, did you?”

“So you do think I’m handsome.”

She actually stopped for a second. “Declan, I’m not blind.”

He looked disgustingly smug.

“Oh, get over yourself.”

“Not just handsome but mind-bogglingly handsome,” he said.

“I’m afraid my reputation among my peers as been somewhat tarnished.” He walked up the porch and held the door open for her.

“Why?”

“It became known that I had a rather fertile imagination, when it came to private activities.”

She stared at him. “What sort of private activities?”

This time he did smile, and it turned his face wicked. “Disrobe, and I’ll be happy to demonstrate.”

He glanced at her , indignant. “I don’t go kaboom.”

This was a very original idea for an urban fantasy. I totally dug it. I loved the easy, non complicated, non over-info-dumped, world building. One paragraph explained it all to me.

They lived between worlds : on one side lay the Weird and the other the Broken. Two dimensions, existing side by side, like mirror images of each other. In the place where the dimensions “touched,” they intersected slightly, forming a narrow ribbon of land that belonged to both of them -- The Edge. In the Weird, magic pooled deeply; in the Edge it was a shallow trickle. But in the Broken, no magic shielded them at all.

Then another couple told me the rules.

“In the Edge, there are no police, no marshals, no sheriffs, or any kind of protection. There is no impartial third party. Instead, the entire community of East Laporte sits there and watches to see what will happen. Because there are so few of us, everyone knows everybody else and everything we do has consequences.”

She took a deep breath. “If a woman gets assaulted, it’s between her family and the family of her attacker. They might come to an agreement of some sort on restitution or punishment. Or they might spend the next few decades lying in wait with their guns trying to splatter each others’ brains all over the local greenery.”

I loved Declan from the start. He was polished, where Rose was just making her pennies stretch to the next day. She had no airs or graces.

She apparently needed some lessons in eating pancakes and etiquette.

He grimaced. “You’re a rude, vulgar, and you speak in an atrocious fashion. You’ll take so much work before you can be presentable. And you actually feel that you’re a suitable spouse for me?”

The first rule of etiquette a boy learns when he’s about to enter society is that civility is due to all women. No provocation, no matter how unjust and rudely delivered, can validate a man who fails to treat a woman with anything less than utmost courtesy.”

The boys hung on his every word. He glanced in her direction.

“I have met some incredibly unpleasant women, and I have never failed in this duty. But I must admit: your sister may prove my undoing.”

“Eat slowly,” the blueblood said. “Don’t cut your food with the fork. Cut it with the knife, and make the pieces small enough so you can answer a question without having to swallow first.”

Why me? “Right. Any other tips?”

There is your misunderstood character, William, who only wants to be loved. I really felt sorry for William, but he comes with some damage.

The man turned. He looked to be in his late twenties. He had a handsome face with a square jaw and sculptured cheekbones. No baby fat remained on his face. His cheeks were hollowed, his nose narrow and well cut. She scrutinized his deep-set hazel eyes. The eyes reassured her: they were honest and direct.

“He’s a guy. He likes action figures,” Georgie said helpfully. “He asked Rose on a date, but she didn’t go.”

“Does your sister go on dates often?”

“Every week,” Rose said.

“Never,” Georgie declared at the same time.

There is more than one villain in the story, but one really stands out.

“I’m telling you he’s a Navy SEAL or something. Or one of the commando ranger guys. You know the kind who survive in the woods by eating bugs and take down the whole camp of terrorists with a handgun and a small rock.”

I totally dug this book. It was a page turner from the start. I was held captive by this highly original world.Up next , Bayou Moon # 2, William and Cerise's book. I just assumed the series would carry on , like Kate Daniels. I was just getting to know Declan and Rose. Not sure how I feel about no longer reading about these two. I could so see more in their story and the boys. I hope they pop up again.A fantastic start to The Edge series that has me wanting to read more. ASAP!

4 comments:

Ooohh, I'm so glad you loved On the Edge, Michelle! I love this series too. I can't wait for you to read Bayou Moon. :) I loved the worldbuilding in this one and the characters are amazing. Jack and George are fantastic! Thanks for the great review and all the quotes. Makes me want to dive into an Andrews novel! :)

Brandee , I had all three books from library a bit back, but ran out of time to read them, so now I am going slow reserving them. I thought it was an on going series like Kate Daniels. Anyhoo William is up next, looking forward to reading him :D